Wins and hurdles

The ups and downs in providing professional development in elearning

Abstract

Strategically aligning staff development to facilitate exploration and innovation in the application of learning technologies is a complex balancing act that integrates the influences of technological change, shifting institutional priorities and conditions, and uneven uptake among staff. In this paper we focus on (one aspect of) a multi pronged staff development strategy in a university context. As an evidence base, we draw on staff participation and evaluation data for an 18 month period to explore some of the factors that have contributed to how the professional development (PD) program has evolved in response to local conditions while deploying good practice guidelines. Quantitative and qualitative data from staff surveys are analysed to determine the impact and effectiveness of the program and to explore the factors that have influenced the evolution of the program.